Sleeved coupling for electrical cables



Jan. 10, 1967 G. L. POPE SLEEVED COUPLING FOR ELECTRICAL CABLES Filed Oct. 6, 1964 gwb INVENTOR. GAQY L. Pop/5 ATTORNEYS United States Patent 3 297,975 SLEEVED COUPLINGTOR ELECTRICAL CABLES Gary L. Pope, Lafayette, Calif, assignor to F. M. Anthony Co., Berkeley, Calif, a corporation of California Filed Oct. 6, 1964, Ser. No. 401,847 8 Claims. (Cl. 3396tl) The present invention relates generally to electrical cable couplings of the type including interlockable male and female electrical cable connectors and encompassing interlockable male and female non-conducting insulating sleeves, and is more particularly directed to a cable coupling of the above type featuring improved insulating sleeves adapted for securance to the electrical connectors in an improved manner to prevent relative movement therebetween.

Sleeved couplings are extensively employed to connect heavy duty electrical cables. In this regard the couplings typically include interlocked male and female electrical connector elements crimped, or otherwise conductively secured, to the conductors of a pair of cable ends which are to be joined. In addition, cylindrical insulating sleeves of rubber, plastic, or the like, are coaxially disposed about the electrical connector elements and adjacent portions of the insulating sheaths of the cables, and these are respectively provided with interlocked male and female end portions. Aside from providing an insulated coupling between the cable ends, the sleeves serve to prevent moisture from reaching the electrical connection. The male and female electrical connector elements employed in such couplings are frequently of a type which, subsequent to insertion of the male into the female element, require relative rotation thcrebetween in order to effect a locked connection. Relative rotation between the electrical connector elements is accomplished with the male and female portions of the sleeves in interengagement by rotating the sleeves relative to each other. It will thus be appreciated that the sleeves must be immovably secured to the respective electrical connector elements in order to insure that the latter are rotated with the former and a locked connection is obtained. Heretofore, immovable securance of the sleeves to the electrical connector elements has been accomplished by vulcanization molding techniques so as to rigidly embed the electrical connector elements in the sleeves. Such means of securance is disadvantageous in that it is not particularly well suited to accomplishment in the field and generally speaking is performed at the factory. In other instances, the sleeves are provided with internal metallic collars having keyways formed therein and special electrical connector elements having projecting pins or keys engaging the keyways are employed in the coupling to provide immovable securance between the sleeves and electrical connector elements. The use of many standard connector elements in such a coupling is hence precluded since they are not provided with the requisite pins or keys for effecting a keyed connection between the connector elements and sleeves.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide an improved sleeved cable coupling having sleeves and standard electrical connector elements immovably secured to each other in a relatively simple improved manner.

Another object of the invention is to provide insulating cable sleeves of improved design for facilitating their immovable securance to standard electrical connector elements in an improved manner.

It is a further object of the invention to provide an improved sleeved cable coupling featuring pinned immovable connections between the sleeves and electrical connector elements.

3,297,975 Patented Jan. I0, 1967 The invention possesses other objects and features of advantage, some of which, with the foregoing, will be set forth in the following description of the preferred form of the invention which is illustrated in the drawing accompanying and forming part of the specification. It is to be understood, however, that variations in the showing made by the said drawing and description may be adopted within the scope of the invention as set forth in the claims.

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of separated sleeved connector elements in accordance with the invention for effecting a sleeved coupling between electrical cables.

FIGURE 2 is a longitudinal sectional view through the separated sleeved connector elements illustrating the means by which the sleeves and electrical connector elements are immovably secured together.

FIGURE 3 is a fragmentary longitudinal sectional view similar to FIGURE 2, but with the sleeved connector elements in interlocked coupled relation.

FIGURE 4 is a transverse sectional view taken at line 44 of FIGURE 3.

Referring now to the drawing, there will be seen to be provided a sleeved cable coupling 11 comprised of male and female sections 12 and 13. The male section I2 includes a standard male electrical connector 14 which is electrically connected to the conductor 16 of a cable 17, as by means of a crimped joint 18. In additional a male insulating sleeve 19 is disposed coaxially about the connector l4 and end of the cable 17, such sleeve extending over a portion of the insulating sheath 211 of the cable adjacent the crimped joint 18. The female section 13 includes a standard female electrical connector 22 adapted to mate with male connector 14 and electrically connected to the conductors 23 of a second cable 24, as by means of a crimped joint 26. A female insulating sleeve 27 adapted to mate with male sleeve 19 is disposed coaxially about connector 22 and end of cable 24-, the sleeve extending over a portion of the insulating sheath 255 of the cable adjacent the crimped joint 26.

The standard male and female connectors M, 22 are of a type which include central cylindrical portions 22 31 having cable conductor receiving thimbles 32, 33 extending from one end and male and female rotary locking portions 34 and 36 extending from the opposite end. The thimbles are crimped into the cable conductors to provide the crimped joints I8, 26. The male and female rotary locking portions may take on a variety of specific configurations such as that illustrated in the drawing for purely exemplary purposes. In this regard the illustrated male portion 34 has a reduced diameter compared to that of cylindrical portion 29 and projects centrally therefrom. The male portion has diametrically opposed fiat faces 3'7 joined by cylindrical threaded faces 38. In addition, a cylindrical wall portion 39 extends from the cylindrical portion 29 in outwardly spaced encircling relation to portion 34. The female portion 3:6 is in turn of a slightly reduced diameter compared to that of cylindrical portion 31 and provided with a recess 41 extending thereinto. The recess is of generally cylindrical shape having smooth opposed wall portions 42 and opposed threaded wall portions 43 with the outside diameter of the threaded pontions being equal to the diameter of the smooth wall portions. The width of the smooth wall portions is at least equal to the width of the male portion 34-. Thus, in order to interlock the illustrated male and female portions 34, 36, they are oriented, as depicted in FIGURE 2, with the flat faces 37 opposite the threaded wall portions 43 and threaded faces 38 opposite the smooth Wall portions 42. As thus oriented, the male portion is moved longitudinally into the recess ill and is then. given a quarter turn to the position depicted in FIGURE 3. The threaded faces 38 of the male connector thus engage the 3 threaded wall portions 42 of the female connector to thereby provide a locked connection therebetween.

The male insulating sleeve 19 is of elongated generally cylindrical configuration and preferably gradually tapered at its trailing end which encompasses the insulating sheath 21 of cable 17. The forward end of the male sleeve has an inwardly stepped reduced diameter portion 44 projecting coaxially from a shoulder 46 and terminating at a flat annular end face 4'7. The periphery of portion 44 is formed with a pair of oppositely beveled surfaces 48, 49 merging at an intermediate ridge 51. The sleeve has a bore 52 extending coaxially therethrough, and such bore is of uniform diameter substantially equal to that of the cable sheath 21 except for a short slightly inwardly stepped reduced portion 53 within the forward end of portion 44. A stop shoulder 54 is thus defined adjacent the reduced portion 53 for engaging the end of cylindrical wall portion 39 of male connector 14. By virtue of the bore diameter being substantially equal to the cable sheath diameter, a forced fit is obtained between the sleeve and cable sheath, as well as between the sleeve and male connector. The sleeve is provided with circumferentially spaced longitudinal ribs 56 on the portion of the connector rearwardly adjacent the portion 44.

The female insulating sleeve 27 is of generally the same configuration as the male sleeve in that the female sleeve is of elongated generally cylindrical configuration and preferably gradually tapered at its trailing end which encompasses the insulating sheath 28 of cable 24. The female sleeve has a bore 57 of uniform diameter over most of its length substantially equal to the diameter of cable sheath 28. The forward end of the bore is enlarged to provide a recess 58 defined by oppositely beveled surfaces 59, 61 merging at an intermediate valley 62. Recess 58 is complementary to the portion 44- of the male sleeve. By virtue of the diameter of bore 57 being substantially equal to that of sheath 28, a forced fit is obtained between the sleeve and cable sheath, as well as between the sleeve and female connector. The sleeve 27 is provided with circumferentially spaced longitudinal ribs 63 on the forward peripheral portion thereof.

It will be thus appreciated that when the male and female connectors 14, 22 are longitudinally engaged, the pontion 44 of the male sleeve 19 is simultaneously engaged in the recess 58 of the female sleeve 27. Thereafter, the engaged portions of the male and female sleeves are rotated relative to each other to simultaneously rotate the male and female connectors into locked engagement. In order to insure that such locked engagement of the male and female connectors is effected upon rotation of the sleeves, it will be appreciated that the male sleeve must be immovably secured to the male connector, and the female sleeve must be immovably secured to the female sleeve. In accordance with the particularly salient aspects of the invention, such securance of sleeves and connectors is accomplished in a relatively simple improved manner which accrues from an improved sleeve design. More particularly, the ribbed portions of the sleeves are respectively provided with diametrically opposed aligned radial apertures. In this regard, the male sleeve 19 is provided with apertures 64 extending through relatively enlarged ribs 66 provided at diametrically opposed positions of the sleeve periphery. Similarly, the female sleeve 27 is provided with apertures s7 extending through relatively enlarged ribs 68 provided at diametrically opposed positions of the sleeve periphery. The apertures 64, 67 serve to receive pins 69, 71 of plastic or other insulating material which also extend through bores 72, 73 provided in the central portions 29, 31 of the male and female connectors 14, 22. The bores 72, '73 may be, for example, readily drilled through the central portions of the standard connectors at positions that will register with the sleeve apertures 64, 67 when the connectors are operatively positioned therein. The pins 6%, 71 may then be insented through the apertures and registering bores to provide immovable pinned connections between the sleeves and connectors. The connectors may thus be rotated into their locked positions by rotating the sleeves. Relative movement between the sleeves and connectors is prevented by the pins, and the resulting forces exerted by the pins upon the sleeves are absorbed by the relatively heavy enlarged ribs 66, 68. It will be thus appreciated that most standard rotary lockable connectors may be adapted to use with the improved sleeves and pin connected thereto in accordance with the present invention, merely by drilling bores therethrough.

In order to enhance the seal between the male and female insulting sleeves 19, 27 and the cable sheaths 21, 28 of the cables adjacent the crimped joints between the cable conductors 16, 23 and connectors 14, 22, the sleeves are preferably respectively provided with internal sealing ribs 74, 76 for resiliently engaging the cable sheaths and adjacent portions of the connectors. The ribs are provided concentrically of the walls of the sleeve bores 52, 57 at longitudinally spaced positions. The ribs are grouped at locations slightly inwardly spaced from the trailing ends of the sleeves so as to engage the cable sheaths and adjacent portions of the connectors, and thereby provide effective seals between the sleeves and sheaths.

What is claimed is:

1. A sleeved cable coupling comprising a first electrical cable end, an electrical male connector having a central cylindrical portion with a cable receiving portion at one end and a male rotary locking portion at the other end, said receiving portion electrically connected to the conductor of said cable end, said central portion having a diametric bore therethrough, an elongated male insulating sleeve coaxially encompassing said male connector and having a trailing portion extending about a portion of the insulating sheath of said cable end adjacent said connector, said sleeve having a reduced diameter forwardly projecting portion, said sleeve having diametrically opposed aligned radial apertures in registration with said bore, a pin of insulating material extending through said apertures and said bore, a second electrical cable end, an electrical female connector having a central cylindrical portion with a cable receiving portion at one end and a female rotary locking portion at the other end, said receiving portion of said female connector electrically connected to the conductor of said second cable end, said female portion complementary to said male rotary locking portion and in locked engagement therewith, said central portion of said female connector having a diametric bore therethrough, an elongated female insulating sleeve coaxially encompassing said female connector and having a trailing portion extending about a portion of the insulating sheath of said second cable end adjacent said female connector, said female sleeve having a recess in its forward end complementary to and engaged by said forwardly projecting portion of said male sleeve, said female sleeve having diametrically opposed aligned radial apertures in registration with said bore through said central portion of said female connector, a second pin of insulating material extending through said apertures of said female sleeve and registering bore of said female connector, and said male and female sleeves respectively having pluralities of circumferentially spaced longitudinal ribs on their peripheries including pairs of relatively enlarged diametrically opposed ribs through which said apertures extend.

2. A cable coupling according to claim 1, further defined by said forwardly projecting portion of said male sleeve having oppositely beveled peripheral surface portions merging at an intermediate ridge, and said recess of said female sleeve having oppositely beveled surface portions merging at an intermediate valley.

3. A cable sleeve assembly comprising an elongated substantially cylindrical male sleeve of insulating material having a bore of Substantially uniform diameter extending coaxially therethrough, said sleeve having a gradually tapered peripheral trailing end, said sleeve having a reduced diameter forwardly projecting portion with oppositely beveled surface portions merging at an intermediate ridge, said sleeve having circumferentialy spaced longitudinal ribs on a peripheral portion thereof rearwardly adjacent said projecting portion including a pair of diametrically opposed relatively enlarged ribs, said sleeve having diametrically opposed aligned radial apertures extending through said enlarged ribs adapted to receive a pin of insulating material, and an elongated substantially cylindrical female sleeve of insulating material having a bore of substantially uniform diameter extending coaxially therethrough and terminating in an enlarged recess at the forward end thereof, said recess having oppositely beveled surface portions merging at an intermediate valley, said recess complementary to and engaged by said projecting portion of said male sleeve, said female sleeve having a gradually tapered peripheral trailing end, said female sleeve having circumferentialy spaced longitudinal ribs on a forward peripheral portion thereof including a pair of diametrically opposed relatively enlarged ribs, said female sleeve having diametrically opposed aligned radial apertures extending through said enlarged ribs thereof adapted to receive a pin of insulating material.

4. A male cable sleeve comprising an elongated sub stantially cylindrical male sleeve body of insulating material having a bore of substantially uniform diameter extending coaxially therethrough, said sleeve body having a gradually tapered peripheral trailing end, said sleeve body having a reduced diameter forwardly projecting portion with oppositely beveled surface portions merging at an intermediate ridge, said sleeve body having circumferentially spaced longitudinal ribs on a peripheral portion thereof rearwardly adjacent said projecting portion including a pair of diametrically opposed relatively enlarged ribs, said sleeve body having diametrically opposed aligned radial apertures extending through said enlarged ribs adapted to receive a pin of insulating material.

5. A female cable sleeve comprising an elongated substantially cylindrical female sleeve body of insulating material having a gradually tapered peripheral trailing end, said sleeve body having a bore of substantially uniform diameter extending coaxially therethrough and terminating in an enlarged recess at the forward end thereof, said recess having oppositely beveled surface portions merging at an intermediate valley, said sleeve body having circumferentially spaced longitudinal ribs on a forward peripheral portion thereof including a pair of diametrically opposed relatively enlarged ribs, said sleeve body having diametrically opposed aligned radial apertures extending through said enlarged ribs thereof adapted to receive a pin of insulating material.

6. A male cable sleeve according to claim 4, further defined by said bore having a plurality of longitudinally spaced sealing ribs formed concentrically in the wall thereof at a location spaced inwardly from said trailing end.

7. A female cable sleeve according to claim 5, further defined by said bore having a plurality of longitudinally spaced sealing ribs formed concentrically in the wall thereof at a location spaced inwardly from said trailing end.

8. A cable sleeve assembly comprising an elongated substantially cylindrical male sleeve of insulating material having a bore of substantially uniform diameter extending coaxially therethrough, said sleeve having a reduced diameter forwardly projecting portion with oppositely beveled surface portions merging at an intermediate ridge, means associated with said sleeve for securing a cable connector within the bore thereof, and at least one sealing rib within the bore of said male sleeve formed concentrically in the wall thereof at a location spaced inwardly from the trailing end of said sleeve' adapted to tightly engage a cable extending through said end; and an elongated substantially cylindrical female sleeve of insulating material having a bore of substantially uniform diameter extending coaxially therethrough and terminating in an enlarged recess at the forward end thereof, said recess having oppositely beveled surface portions merging at an intermediate valley complementary to and adapted to be engaged by said projecting portion of said male sleeve, means associated with said female sleeve for securing within the bore thereof a cable connector adapted to interlockingly engage with a cable connector in said male sleeve, and at least one sealing rib within the bore of said female sleeve formed concentrically in the wall thereof at a location spaced inwardly from its trailing end and adapted to tightly engage a cable extending through said end.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,742,622 4/1956 Stevens 339199 X 2,758,289 8/1956 Schaber 33959 X 3,125,391 3/1964 Hart 33960 EDWARD C. ALLEN, Primary Examiner.

W. DONALD MILLER, Examiner. u 

4. A MALE CABLE SLEEVE COMPRISING AN ELONGATED SUBSTANTIALLY CYLINDRICAL MALE SLEEVE BODY OF INSULATING MATERIAL HAVING A BORE OF SUBSTANTIALLY UNIFORM DIAMETER EXTENDING COAXIALLY THERETHROUGH, SAID SLEEVE BODY HAVING A GRADUALLY TAPERED PERIPHERAL TRAILING END, SAID SLEEVE BODY HAVING A REDUCED DIAMETER FORWARDLY PROJECTING PORTION WITH OPPOSITELY BEVELED SURFACE PORTIONS MERGING AT AN INTERMEDIATE RIDGE, SAID SLEEVE BODY HAVING CIRCUMFERENTIALLY SPACED LONGITUDINAL RIBS ON A PERIPHERAL PORTION THEREOF REARWARDLY ADJACENT SAID PROJECTING PORTION INCLUDING A PAIR OF DIAMETRICALLY OPPOSED RELATIVELY ENLARGED RIBS, SAID SLEEVE BODY HAVING DIAMETRICALLY OPPOSED ALIGNED RADIAL APERTURES EXTENDING THROUGH SAID ENLARGED RIBS ADAPTED TO RECEIVE A PIN OF INSULATING MATERIAL. 